Waiting to Exhale
by SakuraTaylor
Summary: Oh...boy. My first YnM epic fic. Be afraid, I assure you. I screw everything up.
1. If I Should Fall

Oh. My. God. My head hurts. It's all dark.  
  
I hurt in places I didn't know ucould/u hurt. I manage a small groan.  
  
"You're awake!" Hisoka's relieved voice reaches me, even if I can't see him. Relieved? What reason did he have to be relieved?  
  
"I can't see." Great, blurt out the first thing that pops into my brain. Good going, Tsuzuki.  
  
"Aa, there are bandages around your eyes to let them heal of the soot and ashes that got in there from the fire." Huh? What's this?  
  
"Hisoka, what fire?" I might not be an empath, but I caught him off-guard enough to feel a bit of that surprise and concern he's feeling.  
  
"You don't remember?" His voice is shaky. I wonder why...  
  
I can tell I'm just giving off waves of confusion. My once thick mental shields are shattered.  
  
I have no idea why.  
  
I hear the door squeak open. "I'm just going to get Tatsumi and Watari, okay?" And then he's gone.  
  
I'm left horribly confused. All I remember is trying to protect that girl...the one who blamed me for her friend's death.  
  
But for some reason...I don't regret it at all.  
  
I remember all my past sins, but I don't feel guilty.  
  
I don't know what happened, but it seems like there is a thick scab over the guilt.  
  
Must scratch it off.  
  
Must try to remember.  
  
Need to feel guilty need to feel worthless need to continue my penance scratch off the scab make the wound bleed once again-  
  
Strong arms are pinning me to the bed. "Tsuzuki! Calm down!" Watari's urgent voice. Why is he urgent? He's usually his hyper version of calm. (Oxymoron, I know, but it's true.)  
  
I struggle against the warm hands. "Who...? Whoever you are, let me go!"   
  
"Will you stop scratching and hurting yourself?"   
  
Tatsumi.  
  
"I was hurting myself...?" At least now I can despise myself again. I'm hating how weak and raspy my voice sounds.  
  
"Can you sit up?" Watari, WHY are you asking me this while you're helping me up?  
  
"Apparantly I can." uARRRRRRG/u! I hate the way I sound!  
  
I guess somebody else agrees with me because I now have a Stryofoam cup next to my lips. "Here." Hisoka's voice is gentle. Was he worried?  
  
He tips the cup, and sweet, cold water runs into my mouth and down my throat. "Sank'yuu, Hisoka," I say when I've finished the water.  
  
"You sound much better." He sounds like he's smiling. Hisoka? Smiling on my behalf?  
  
"When can I get these bandages off? I'd really like to see." It's discomforting not seeing anything but darkness. And I want to ask about the fire when I can see their reactions, dammit.  
  
After a pause, Watari said, "Well, it has been three weeks, so we should try. What do you think, Tatsumi?"  
  
I suppose Tatsumi nodded because gentle hands started unwrapping the bandages from around my head. The first thing I saw was a pair of bespecticled cheerful orange eyes."Saa, Tsuzuki, how do you feel?"  
  
uOW./u Just dandy, except for the burning pain in my eyes. I blinked, focusing my eyes better.   
  
There was a sharp intake of breath from the other three occupants in the room. "What?" I blink again, focusing on the green-eyed Shinigami.  
  
Who is staring at me in...  
  
confusion and fear?  
  
"Your eyes..." Tatsumi whispers, his own blue eyes wide, "Your eyes aren't purple anymore...they're red!"  
  
...Oh, hey, look. Even 003 is staring. "Can I have a mirror?"  
  
Hisoka silently handed me a hand-held mirror that was lying on the bedside table.  
  
I shakily graps the handle and hold it up to my face.  
  
Tatsumi was right. My eyes were no longer the color of amethysts...  
  
They were the color of garnets.  
  
The last thing I heard before I passed out was the mirror's glass breaking on the floor.  
  
*~*~*  
  
i"You have demon blood in you." The silver-eyed man reached out and touched my cheek."   
  
"No human has those color eyes."  
  
*FLASH*  
  
"Your eyes....your eyes are red!"  
  
*FLASH*  
  
"You monster!"  
  
"You killed all those people!"  
  
*FLASH*  
  
Child sobbing. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."  
  
*FLASH*  
  
"Two gentlemen dead in a bed of roses."  
  
*FLASH*  
  
"I will never forgive you!"  
  
*FLASH*   
  
"Don't act like I don't know what you're up to, vampire!"/i  
  
I wake up in a cold sweat, breathing hard.  
  
I see a figure in the corner.  
  
My garnet eyes widen.   
  
"Oh, no..."  
  
Thin lips pull up into a smile. "Tsuzuki-san. I missed you while you were recovering." 


	2. Starside

"...Muraki?" It was more of a question than a statement. He looked -even ufelt/u like Muraki...but it wasn't him...  
  
...was it?  
  
'Muraki' laughed. He was DEFINATELY not Muraki. This laugh was more evil by about a hundred times. And without those weird wheezy noises between the 'mwahaha's. Though those were funny. Whups, I'm digressing.  
  
"Oh, no, Tsuzuki-san. There was never a Muraki." The man stepped forward into the light and I saw that both of his eyes were intact, both silver orbs fastened onto my face. "Muraki was never alive."  
  
It's about now when I became skeptical. "He sure felt alive." Good going Tsuzuki. Let whoever this guy is know that you're bitter. Second time in one or two days -I don't know how long I was sleeping- you're being an idiot.  
  
"Of course he did. Because his outer layer was made to feel like skin. Didn't you ever wonder why his skin was always so cold? Why he was always so impeccable? Why his tears never looked...natural?"  
  
Now that I recall...the only time I've ever seen Muraki cry -the first time we met, in the church in Nagasaki- it DIDN'T look natural. The tear just slipped out from the right side of his eye to slip down his face.  
  
I stay silent, and 'Muraki' laughs again. "Well, not to leave you with your little delusion...I might as well introduce myself." He bows, somehow stepping closer into the middle of the room. "Sekihei Hiryuu."  
  
Just the name makes me want to run screaming from the room. Anyone who's last name means "deep-rooted evil" is not going to be high on my list to make friends with.  
  
Again, I don't say anything, making Hiryuu laugh again. I wince, knowing that it this is NOT going to be good. I'm bed-ridden and he's probably fully powerful.   
  
"Don't you wonder what was Muraki?" He steps forward again, and the look on his face makes me want to crawl into a hole and die. I blink.  
  
"Don't you?"  
  
"What the hell was he?" I say, just to shut him up.  
  
He tilts his head and grins manically. "A robot. He was a robot. That's why his left eye wasn't normal like his right. It distingushed him from the rest of the world." He steps closer. "And whenever he started behaving passionately with either you or the green-eyed little one...I teleported. Switched myself with him."  
  
Dear god, I'm trapped in the room with a maniac. Help? Please?   
  
Let's hope THAT little message gets sent to Hisoka or Tatsumi or somebody who could help. I can hardly move, much less protect myself.  
  
"You never actually ulooked/u at him once he started with his 'passion', didn't you? Never noticed that his left eye turned intact?"  
  
"But his skin was always cold. And apparantely so was yours." My voice is quiet. And I mentally add that I hope to god I never felt his skin again.  
  
"Correct, Tsuzuki-san."   
  
The door /finally/ slams open, and a frazzled Hisoka and an angry -but of course, that's not being shown, what with his calm front and why am I making him seem like a storm?- Tatsumi rushes in.  
  
Hisoka stops, eyes wide. "Muraki...?"  
  
He feels exactly like I do, except maybe stronger. I mean, this idiot did kill him.  
  
"Wrong, little one." Hiryuu smiles maniacally, and teleports someplace...not here. Maybe because Tatsumi's here and Tatsumi can kick much ass. Thank god.  
  
"Are you okay, Tsuzuki-san?" "I'm fine, Tatsumi-san. Sank'yuu. ....Hisoka, you okay?" I look concernedly at the shell-shocked younger Shinigami.  
  
"I...didn't feel anything from him..." 


	3. Break Through

iThis is the part where I start giving the chapters titles, usually titles of songs. This one is from Gravitation, and I THINK it's preformed by Bad Luck, but I can't be too sure...anyway, enjoy. *Absently kicks Hiryuu*/i  
  
*~*~*  
  
Chapter Three: Break Through  
  
Okay, now I know some people say that panic is a beautiful thing, but...it's not. It's horrifying.   
  
Especially when the panicking is like this.  
  
"Hisoka! Hisoka, ucalm idown/i/u!" The younger Shinigami is kneeling on the floor, his hands on both sides of his head and shaking his head violently.  
  
Tatsumi grabs Hisoka by the shoulders. "Kurosaki-kun!" And in panic, he slaps Hisoka square across the face.  
  
All is quiet.   
  
"Tatsumi-san...?" Hisoka's voice is weak. "I can't feel anything anymore...no more empathy..." And he sags into Tatsumi's arms.  
  
My eyes widen. "No more empathy? But...but that was a part of him before he became a Shinigami!"  
  
i"The severity of your anger pierces my soul..."/i (*)  
  
Tatsumi sighs. "Apparently Muraki has gotten stronger powers..."  
  
"No. That wasn't Muraki." I explain about psuedo-Muraki and Hiryuu.  
  
The shadowmaster was immediately shaking his head. "He must be lying. Nobody can feel that human and not be human. It's impossible."  
  
I will make allowances for the fact that not only did Hiryuu get into the Meifu -god knows how- and that this whole thing is an emergency. My eyes turning garnet, Hisoka's loss of his empathy, and who knows what else. This whole thing is an emergency for JuOhChou and Tatsumi is the one who has to tell Konoe-kachou. Not a pleasant task.  
  
"Well, tell Watari to scan the hairs of Muraki closely." We had at least one strand of Muraki's hair because of the fact that we might need it. I don't know how we got it, nor do I want to. "Then we'll find out what he really was."  
  
Tatsumi looks as though he wants to protests but he just agrees and goes over to Watari's lab after gently lying Hisoka onto the bed next to me.  
  
He looks so peaceful - Hisoka, not Tatsumi. His eyes are closed, and he looks dead to the world. I gently brush his bangs away from his face and then settle against the headboard.  
  
When did I come to feel for the green-eyed boy so strongly?  
  
All I know is that I want to protect him, to keep him with me at all times.  
  
Is this love? I don't know.  
  
Furthermore, why am I thinking about this when we have a crisis on our hands? And I'm still curious about the fire, dammit.  
  
Watari rushes in, hair going everywhere (as usual) and 003 on his shoulder. "Tatsumi's gone to Konoe-kachou, but you were right. Hiryuu wasn't lying - Muraki wasn't human, at all. Hiryuu manipulated the way Muraki felt so that we thought he was human."  
  
"It explains why the bastard never stayed dead." Why do I sound so calm?  
  
Why do I keep thinking about Hisoka?  
  
What's happening?!  
  
*~*~*  
  
*iThis is what my subtitles say that Hisoka said when Tsuzuki was mad that Hisoka was trying to get into the restricted part of the library and stood him up. You know, when Hisoka was sitting against the wall, clutching his knees to his chest? Yeah. So I don't know if it's wrong or not./i 


	4. Hidden Sun

iThe title of this one is from the Barenaked Ladies. Sorry this is so late. I've been really busy these days. This is where the chapters start to get long because I don't want it to be 1000 chapters long. ^_^ Also, beware of more unauthorized OCs. I swear he wasn't meant to be in there. This chapter is dedicated to Xandra-'nee-chan. Enjoy!/i  
  
*~*~*  
  
Chapter Four: Hidden Sun  
  
Konoe-kachou and Tatsumi have called an emergency meeting. Since I'm still healing, everyone is crowded in my room. Luckily, the room isn't small.  
  
Kachou is standing in the middle, in front of my bed. He has his hands clasped behind his back, and he's very serious. "The Mansion of Candles has reported that life spans all over Japan has shortened dramatically. There is no pattern to it, either; however, it seems that the only ones that haven't been dying have some sort of useful magical powers."  
  
"Hiryuu..." I murmer, my garnet eyes narrowing.  
  
Tatsumi nods at me. "We suspect that it is Sekihei Hiryuu causing all this, but we can't be sure. We have no knowledge of his powers."  
  
"Of course, he's sure to be more powerful than Muraki," Watari injected, adjusting his glasses. There is an unwontedly serious look on his face. "After all, he did create it."  
  
"But why would he make up the story about Saki...? Or everything else?" Hisoka asks.  
  
"Saki? Who's Saki?" I ask. My memory of the past few months have been erased. I only remember everything up to the end of our last mission, with Tsubaki-hime.   
  
Hisoka, Watari, Tatsumi, and Konoe-kachou exchange glasses. "I want to know, dammit," I say, my voice getting louder.  
  
"I promise to tell you later," Hisoka says quietly so the others wouldn't hear, "But not right now. Wakaba-chan and the others should not know about this."  
  
I eye the green-eyed Shinigami for a moment, then nod.  
  
"Anyway, the story about Saki was probably just to give Muraki-the-robot a past and a reason for it not to have its left eye," Watari continued.  
  
'Of course,' I think bitterly, 'Muraki wouldn't have been as freaky if he had his left eye.'  
  
"And the only ones without a mission are Kurosaki-kun and Tsuzuki-san. Tsuzuki-san is obviously bed-ridden, and Kurosaki-kun cannot go alone. So we have a new partner for him," Tatsumi says.  
  
What the hell?! Hisoka and I exchange bewildered looks. "But I can go with Hisoka!" I start to protest.  
  
"No, you can't, Tsuzuki. You're still very weak." Watari looks over at me, concerned. "But I promise that once you are up to par, you will be able to be Hisoka's partner once more."  
  
I settle back, still disturbed by this turn of events. For some reason...I feel jealous?  
  
Why? Is there a reason to? I've been passed over for a partner so many times, I've become immune.  
  
So why do I feel jealous?  
  
Tatsumi opens the door, revealing a tall man. His braided hair goes up to his waist, and it's dark purple with shocking light blue stripes. His eyes are a warm navy blue. "Hisoka, this is Setsuna Fukakai, your new partner."  
  
Setsuna-san tilts his head and smiles warmly at us all. "Hey, all!"  
  
Hisoka glares distrustfully at the navy eyed man. The new Shinigami arches a slim eyebrow at Hisoka.  
  
"Sand, emeralds, and daisies. See, you aren't as mean and harsh underneath." Setsuna-san suddenly grins at the younger Shinigami, who stares at him in surprise.  
  
Watari grins. "Kaze-kun can tell what people feel like. Apparently, Kurosaki-kun feels like, well, sand, emeralds, and daisies. It comes in handy when trying to tell who you can trust, ne, Kaze-kun?"  
  
Setsuna-san nods, switching his attention to me. "Amethysts, fire, and cookies? You, my new friend, are one of the strangest combinations I've seen ever."  
  
So I feel like fire, amethysts, and cookies? Makes sense, in a weird way. "...I can tell," I say, finally regaining my voice. "Asato Tsuzuki."  
  
He smiles at me, about to say something before Hisoka bursts out, "Why is a man who doesn't even have a power that would come in handy during battle, with dyed long hair, be my partner?"  
  
Silence falls over the room, before Setsuna-san starts, in a low voice, "Doesn't even have a power that would come in handy? You shouldn't underestimate people, Kurosaki-kun. And my hair has nothing - uinothing/u/i - to do with this. So do not attempt to hate me just because of my appearance."  
  
"Why should I not underestimate you? Honestly. What other talent what might you have?" Hisoka says, his voice dripping with sarcasm.  
  
"Not only do I have my sixth sense of what people feel like, I am also accomplished in onmyoujitsu, which is what you use in battle, Kurosaki-kun, is it not?" Setsuna-san's eyes are narrowed into slits.  
  
Hisoka stays silent, glaring at the Shinigami.  
  
"Ne, ne," Watari tries to loosen the tension in the room, "The mission is going to start in your area, Nagasaki, okay, Kurosaki-kun?"  
  
Konoe-kachou, who stayed silent other than the beginning of the meeting this whole time, starts to shake his head. "There has been a change of plans, Watari-san. The Gushoshin have found records of Hiryuu in Tokyo and Kyoto. Those are the two places you will start looking in."  
  
Setsuna-san's eyes widen, and he gulps. "Tokyo and Kyoto..." he murmers, almost to himself.  
  
"Is this a problem?" Tatsumi asks him.  
  
"N-no, not at all," he says hurridly.  
  
"Fine. When do we start?" Hisoka directs that question at Kachou.  
  
"You will report here tomorrow morning, and will get your instructions and where to stay. I expect that the both of you will not kill each other, understood?" Kachou eyes both Setsuna-san and Hisoka.  
  
Setsuna-san's eyes are still wide. "U-understood..."  
  
Hisoka snorts before responding with the obligatory "understood".  
  
I sink back into the pillows as everyone leaves.  
  
I can tell that there is something in Setsuna-san's past in Tokyo and Kyoto that he isn't telling us.   
  
But what?   
  
Before I fall asleep, I think that if Hisoka and Setsuna-san don't kill each other, then it will be a great miracle. 


	5. Come What May

Okay. Yes. New chapter - finally. This is getting longer, because I finally learned to start using Microsoft Word again and not Notepad. ^_^;;; The title of this chapter is from Moulin Rouge (How badly did I spell it? You're not allowed to kill me for it, by the way) And new format. Because I'm crazy that way. And don't know WHY Watari calls a guy named 'Setsuna Fukakai' 'Kaze-kun'.. *Shrug* I think the author notes are going to be longer than the chapter itself - so, enjoy! ^^ (And I just realized that not much happens in this chapter.)  
  
"Waiting to Exhale" Chapter 5 - "Come What May"  
  
((((((((((*))))))))))  
  
It's a couple of days later now.  
  
Setsuna-san and Hisoka still don't get along very well. Setsuna-san tries, I know, but Hisoka just won't let him.  
  
It was the same way with me before I proved my worth.  
  
I had a couple of chats with Setsuna-san - he's a very nice person. He has an older sister, by the name of Ayame. She still lives in Tokyo with a cousin and some friends.  
  
He looks inherently sad when he talks about her, though.  
  
I wonder why. He showed me a picture of her - she's very pretty, but hardly looks like him.  
  
He laughed when I told him that. He said that they looked more alike when his hair was still black - Hisoka was right, his hair was dyed. But now that he died, he can't change it back.  
  
Setsuna-san said his sister yelled at him for dying his hair outrageous colors - he just grinned all the time.  
  
When he talks about his life on Earth, he always looks wistful. It seems he had a good life - but why is he a Shinigami now?  
  
I wonder.  
  
Anyway, Setsuna-san keeps visiting me. I'm glad, because I don't want to be alone. Hisoka's in the library a lot, researching spells and robots. I think. I hope.  
  
"Tsuzuki-san, how are you feeling?" There's Setsuna-san again.  
  
"Better, thanks," I smile up at him.  
  
He sits, grinning and flipping his braid over his shoulder. "I think Hisoka- san is living in the library with the Gushoshin," Setsuna-san starts conversationally.  
  
"Yes, and I don't know why. I think he's researching something. Don't know what, though."  
  
"Who knows," he laughs. We sit in silence for a couple of minutes, and then he says, "Tsuzuki-san, I know you're itching to ask me something. What?"  
  
I blink. How'd he know I wanted to ask him how he died?  
  
"Well, Setsuna-san -" I start before he interrupts. "Call me Fukakai," he says with a warm smile.  
  
".Okay. Well, Fukakai, at the risk of being rude, how did you die? Why did you become a Shinigami?"  
  
His smile becomes forced, and I immediately start apologizing before he waves it off with a hand.  
  
"Well, an exorcism gone wrong, you can say." I wince. "The spirits were being controlled by some outside force, and I was sent to exorcise them - the last thing I saw was a face. A pair of silver eyes, silver hair, and sharp features."  
  
Well, that explains it. "I became a Shinigami to find out who was controlling them, and to stop him. The spirits shouldn't be messed around with - unless they're bothering someone. One shouldn't force the spirits to do evil."  
  
I nod, agreeing. Spirits can be nasty little things.  
  
He sighs, but then smiles. "So, was that all?"  
  
I nod again, contrite. "I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't worry about it. All I know is that if my sister wasn't sick, she'd be the one sent - and she'd be the one sitting here today. So I'm not sorry."  
  
I smile widely. "So you're also here to protect her?"  
  
He blinks, taken aback. "I never thought of it that way."  
  
"Well, then. By being here, you're protecting her in your own way - and if she's an onmyouji as well, then she could feel your protectiveness. I think." A sweatdrop rolls down his head but he's smiling.  
  
"Arigatou, Tsuzuki-san."  
  
"Dou itashimashite! I'd do it again in a heartbeat!"  
  
He stands. "Maa, I have to go help Watari-san with some chemicals in his lab."  
  
"Oi, watch out. He's trying to invent a sex-changing potion."  
  
He blanches. "You're kidding, right?"  
  
I grin. "Nope, ask him yourself. And that's why we never touch the office coffee, he's always slipping his inventions into it,"  
  
His face is pale. "But I drink it every morning!"  
  
"Well be glad he hasn't put some in there since you came. But tomorrow, just bring your own coffee. And beware the 003 - she sometimes steps in the potions and ends up spreading it around the office."  
  
I'm really scaring the poor guy. His braid is almost standing on end! "Well, if he turns me into a girl.er."  
  
"You'd make a very pretty girl," I snicker.  
  
"Oh, ha ha. I'm sure you'd be prettier. But I swear, Hisoka-san would probably make the best female," he laughs. "But I swear, Hisoka-san would probably make the best female!"  
  
"A very sulky one, but probably he would. He'd kill Watari, though. Then he'd bring Watari back to life and make the poor scientist create an antidote. Then he'd kill Watari again."  
  
"That would be the third time Watari died."  
  
"He'd probably be sent to heaven with his inventions, like his 'Jason- kun'."  
  
"Can't forget his new one," Fukakai pantomimed the scientist this morning. "A friend to all, young or old - RICHARD-KUN!" and he raises his arms up, just like Watari did when he raised up his controller-thingie. I don't even know what 'Richard-kun' was supposed to be.  
  
We're both laughing. "I'd better go before we move onto the other office members - then I'd never leave."  
  
"One word: Terazuma." I grin.  
  
That's almost enough to break himself in half laughing, and he stumbles out of the room.  
  
I snicker once more, wiping my garnet eyes that are filled with tears of mirth. Fukakai's a fun guy.  
  
Tatsumi sticks his head in, rolling his eyes at Fukakai, who's choking and wandering down the hallway.  
  
"How are you feeling, Tsuzuki?"  
  
"Never been better," I reply. 


	6. Circumradiant Dawn

Er.yeah. ^^;; Sorry this was late in coming. Title of this chapter stolen from Dead Can Dance. Eheh. Enjoy!  
  
((((((((((*))))))))))  
  
Waiting to Exhale: Circumradiant Dawn, Chapter Six  
  
((((((((((*))))))))))  
  
"Ayame-'nee-chan!" a young boy calls, about four years old. His small hand is reaching for his older sister, a girl the age of eight.  
  
The girl turns, and smiles at her brother - a bright, warm smile, yet there's a hint of sorrow behind it. "Fukakai-'touto-chan, come here," she replies, grabbing his hand and clutching his small body to hers.  
  
They hugged each other, staying in that position for about five minutes before their grandmother called the girl to come.  
  
"Do you really have to go to Tokyo?" the boy asks, his voice full of tears.  
  
"Hai, 'touto-chan. I have to go stay with Keikoku-kun and Tsuki-chan. I wish you could come, but obaa-san says you're too young. Maybe when you're older she'll send you."  
  
The elderly, crackly voice calls the girl, louder and harsher. The girl kisses the boy's forehead, and turning back only once, goes outside, away from Kyoto.  
  
The boy's tears start streaming down his cheeks.  
  
Setsuna Fukakai awakes with a start, tears matching the four-year-old's leaving visible tracks on his thin cheeks.  
  
((((((((((*))))))))))  
  
"Where do you think dreams go, once you've dreamt them?" Fukakai asks me absently.  
  
I eye him weirdly. "Dreams are our subconscious telling us we're crazy," I tell him, garbling what Watari once told me when I asked him why I had nightmares.  
  
"Yeah, that would explain it, wouldn't it," he laughs.  
  
"Why'd you ask?" I settle back into my large, fluffy pillows - Tatsumi still won't let me get out of bed.  
  
"I just dreamed a memory of when I was about four years old.not one of my favorite memories," he replies. "Oh, I hate that. Memories that come up as dreams. Usually as nightmares."  
  
"Yeah." He stopped for a second before continuing, "Watari's coming down the hall."  
  
I don't even have to ask him how he knows. The first time he felt Watari coming, I got the inane reply of 'sunflowers and sugar'. That would explain it, though, wouldn't it.  
  
Also, it helps that Watari's always bouncing, so people down on Earth can probably hear him anyway.  
  
"Tsuzuki! Why are you still in bed?" the blonde scientist comes in and asks, waving to Fukakai.  
  
"Tatsumi won't let me get up," I reply, making my voice pitiful as Fukakai laughs. He always laughs when I use my pitiful voice. He says it reminds him of his cousin Jiki.  
  
"I already told him that you should be using your legs." Watari sighs, and pulls the covers off of my legs. "Swing your legs over the side of the bed."  
  
I comply, ignoring Fukakai's amused looks.  
  
The scientist puts an arm around my chest, just underneath my arms, and helps me stand.  
  
"My legs work," I exclaim, overdoing it to make Fukakai laugh. He has an adorable laugh. Of course, Hisoka's is more adorable, and much more rare.  
  
.You shouldn't have heard that. Go away now. Shoo.  
  
.  
  
.Okay, please don't leave, but ignore that I ever said that about Hisoka. I'm very confused. Okay? Good.  
  
Anyway, Watari lets go of me and I immediately fall to the floor. "."  
  
Fukakai is laughing as he helps me up. Big meanie.  
  
But it's good to hear him laugh.  
  
((((((((((*))))))))))  
  
A silver-haired, silver-eyed man watches this all in a dark, underground chamber.  
  
He smirks as he watches the events unfold.  
  
Do they think he is ignorant of all that has happened?  
  
Surely, they mustn't think that.  
  
Or else he'd be able to easily snatch what they most need from under their fingers.  
  
Not that he was complaining, of course.  
  
It would just further his cause.  
  
If only the Shinigami knew. 


	7. I'd Do Anything

It's a shame. I haven't updated this since February. You know why? Because my laptop keeps breaking and dying on me. ;_; Wah...poor Alex. *pets it* But anyway, sorry for the delay! Hope this chapter is good, considering I basically bullshitted it when I found out I haven't updated it for two months. _;;; This chapter is named after a song by Simple Plan...it rocks utterly, and you might've heard it on the radio. And now...on to do a book report! . Enjoy! ^^;  
  
((((((((((*))))))))))  
  
Waiting to Exhale: Chapter Seven  
  
I'd Do Anything  
  
((((((((((*))))))))))  
  
It's been eerily quiet and calm down on Chijou.  
  
Too quiet. Too calm.  
  
Hisoka is still a bit shaky, considering he's lost his empathy - the one thing he's had since he was born.  
  
My eyes are still dark red. We still don't know why. Watari is very obviously puzzled. Everytime he looks at either of us, he shakes his head and mutters.  
  
It'd be amusing if it wasn't so worrying.  
  
They're having a staff meeting. I could tell.  
  
They didn't invite either Hisoka or me to the meeting.  
  
I don't know why.  
  
Maybe they thought it would trouble us...?  
  
But with all we've been through, they should know that it would be okay.  
  
It puzzles me.  
  
Fukakai has been bouncing around, cheering most everyone up with the help of Watari - but only I can tell that he's depressed inside.  
  
We've spent a lot of time together while Hisoka stays in the library doing research with the Gushoshin.  
  
He's a good man. And a good friend.  
  
He loves to talk about his family, most especially. Well, only some members of his family. If I ask about people other than his sisters and a handful of cousins, he makes a face and asks, 'Do I haaaaaaave toooooo?'  
  
So I usually let him go.  
  
He keeps me company in this lonely hospital room.  
  
But for now, I have company in Hisoka.  
  
Which seems to make me happier than when it's with Fukakai, as cruel as that sounds.  
  
I'm not sure why.  
  
But in the meanwhile, I'll take the happiness.  
  
Though he's dazed. No empathy means he's not sure how the world works anymore.  
  
It's a horrible thing, losing your power.  
  
What?!  
  
The room just twisted into a black and silver whirlpool...  
  
Hisoka and I grab hands, clenching each other. It'd be horrible to lose each other.  
  
But holding onto each other doesn't work, because all of a sudden, the world goes dark.  
  
((((((((((*))))))))))  
  
Ow...my head hurts.  
  
My wrists are cold, and there's some kind of cuff made out of leather attaching me to...wherever I am.  
  
It seems to be a metal table, freezing, like the kinds you'll find in a doctor's office.  
  
Oh, god.  
  
I can't see Hisoka anywhere in this room...  
  
But still! I can tell where I am.  
  
Hiryuu.  
  
Hiryuu has gotten ahold of Hisoka and myself.  
  
And all of a sudden, wine red rose petals start falling all around.  
  
Save me...someone...anyone... 


End file.
